THE OTTER AND SEAL 89 



he paid a visit to Ipswich, and for a time lived 

 on one of my ponds. He arrived in a packing 

 case. When the case was opened he ate half 

 a dozen herrings from the hand, then scrambled 

 out and flopped into the water. This seal was 

 with me in 1913. There was a railway strike 

 on at the time which affected the supply of fish, 

 and I soon found out what a very expensive 

 visitor a seal can be. I procured, however, a 

 large number of live roach in the district and 

 watched and photographed the animal fishing. 

 Though very clumsy on the land, the agility of 

 the seal under the water is wonderful. He 

 twisted and turned with the greatest ease in his 

 own length, and frequently caught his fish by 

 coming up beneath it, with the under part of his 

 body uppermost. 



A large fish he would bring to the surface 

 and slowly chew while he balanced himself in 

 perpendicular position in the water. Small fish 

 he swallowed below the surface. When he took 

 a herring he partially closed his teeth, and as the 

 fish was sucked down a shower of scales flew off 

 the body of the fish. 



On the plate opposite page 88 is a photograph 

 of the animal searching for fish, and the lower 



